1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a display packaging assembly for swimming and diving masks and goggles. The invention relates more particularly to such a packaging assembly wherein the masks and goggles have corrective lenses whereby a prospective purchaser may look through and evaluate the corrective lenses for his or her specific eye sight, but without removing the mask or goggles from the packaging assembly.
2. Background Art
Swimming and diving masks and goggles are designed to prevent water from contacting the eyes directly by forming a water-tight seal over the eyes. The seal creates an air gap which improves vision in and under the water and which also prevents discomfort to the eyes from constant contact with the water. Salt water, for example, can irritate and eventually cause burning and redness to the eyes. In recent years, such masks and goggles have been provided with corrective lenses for those who normally need to wear such lenses to have good vision. Given the large portion of the general population who need to wear corrective lenses including eyeglasses and contact lenses, it is fair to say that a substantial number of swimmers, snorkelers and divers were at a distinct disadvantage until the relatively recent implementation of corrective lenses in such masks and goggles.
One difficulty associated with the marketing of masks and goggles with corrective lenses, relates to the large range of optical correction that must be provided to meet the diverse needs of the buying public. One solution is to permit purchasers to obtain their corrective lenses after they obtain a mask or pair of goggles and then replace the original lenses with appropriate corrective lenses. However, this is a time-consuming and costly process and is substantially less convenient than enabling the purchaser to obtain proper lenses at the time of the purchase of the mask or goggles.
One way to overcome the inconvenience of special order corrective lenses obtained some time after purchase, is to offer corrective lens masks and goggles having a variety of different degrees of correction and then to permit the prospective purchaser to try on a number of such masks or goggles until he or she finds the appropriate amount of correction for his or her vision. Even if not precise enough to provide perfect vision, a corrective lens that is within a few tenths of a diopter of the purchaser""s corrective glasses or contacts, can provide adequate vision for diving or snorkeling.
While corrective lenses in swim masks and goggles need not be as precise in vision correction as a pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses which are worn all day, they should nevertheless provide sufficient correction to enable a diver, swimmer or snorkeler to have relatively good vision in the water.
Unfortunately, in order to provide a prospective purchaser with an opportunity to try on various masks or goggles to select the best amount of correction available, conventionally packaged masks and goggles require opening of the package and removal of the product at the retail site. Such opening and removal are inherently inconvenient and disruptive and present a hygiene problem. Masks or goggles that have previously come in contact with the faces of prospective purchasers, could carry a variety of bacteria and raise concerns of prospective purchasers, as well as of retailers regarding potential liability.
Therefore, it would be highly advantageous if there were a display packaging assembly for swim masks and goggles having corrective lenses and which enabled prospective purchasers to try on and evaluate the lens correction at the retail site without removing the product from the packaging assembly. No prior art known to the applicant provides such a packaging assembly or any disclosure or suggestion of an assembly which would permit such in-store evaluation prior to purchase.
The present invention provides a display packaging assembly for swim masks and goggles which have corrective lenses. In a first preferred embodiment for a mask and a second preferred embodiment for a pair of goggles, the product is contained in a transparent plastic shell and is located on a mannequin face or face portion in a configuration which simulates how the product would be worn by a swimmer. More significantly, the opposing surfaces of the shell and the simulated eye portions of the mannequin are open at the lenses of the product. These openings permit a prospective purchaser to look through the corrective lenses without opening the package and without removing the product. Moreover, because the mannequin face or face portion is curved to provide a generally concave surface, the prospective purchaser may place the lenses of the mask or goggles in close proximity to his or her eyes without necessarily touching the package to the face and certainly without touching any portion of the product itself.
Thus, the invention provides a convenient non-disruptive and comparatively hygienic packaging assembly for masks and goggles with corrective lenses wherein a prospective purchaser may evaluate the corrective level of the lenses at the retail site and without opening the package or removing the product.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a display packaging assembly for swim masks and goggles having corrective lenses, which assembly enables point of purchase lens evaluation without removing the product from the packaging.
It is another object of the invention to provide a display package for products having corrective lenses wherein the packaging is configured to provide unobscured vision through the lenses.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a display package for products having corrective lenses wherein the packaging provides enclosure of the entire product except the corrective lenses.